Political Story

Some WSU Native American students are angered by a Washington state Senate bill that went into effect over the summer.

State Senate Bill 5001 eliminated Washington state’s matching fund policy for the American Indian endowed scholarship program.

“What it sounds like to me is a legislative way to eventually kill the program,” said Genevieve Yazzie, the Native American Student Center program assistant and a double major in French and Fine Art.

The American Indian scholarship fund provides scholarships for low-income, Native American students in the state of Washington. According to the text of the Final Bill Report on the Washington state legislature website, the fund awards about 15 scholarships annually. The Director of Multicultural Student Services at WSU, J. Manuel Acevedo, said there are 257 Native American students at the Pullman campus. The state Senate does not keep track at which colleges the scholarships are used.

Prior to the passing of bill 5001, promoters of the American Indian scholarship program had to raise at least $50,000 from non-state sources, and the state was then obligated to match the funds. With the inception of this bill, which went into effect on July 26, the state’s obligation to donate an equal amount of funds is eliminated.

Under the new system, the inability of the promoter to garner $50,000 does not deter the state from donating money. However, the state is no longer required to grant funds to the program.

The new bill is a “double-edged sword,” said Aldo Melchiori, coordinator for the Senate committee of Higher Education and Workforce Development. “The group doesn’t have to fundraise the $50,000, but it doesn’t guarantee money from the state.”

Some students from the Native American Student Center are concerned about this lack of financial assurance. Yazzie said she is concerned that the state will eventually cease depositing into the American Indian scholarship fund.

In order to receive state money, promoters of the American Indian scholarship fund will now have to appear before congressional committees to ask for money. How much the group receives depends on how convincing they are, Melchiori said. Another factor will be the current economic status. Melchiori said he received an updated budget last week that reported the state is “another billion dollars short.”

“Right now [the budget] is pretty tight,” he said. “In the short run, the new system probably won’t help.”

Some students feel the state’s financial setback is not a justifiable reason to cut scholarship funding.

“The burden is being put on Native American students who are trying to give back,” Yazzie said. “They are being blamed in some way for the budget deficits. I would hope the state’s goal is to decrease the impoverished people by educating people to enter the workforce.”

In these financial times, a worthy case to ask for funds may still be heard.

“A case that should be made is reservations across the nation, with the exception of a few, are essentially third world countries in terms of economic status,” Yazzie said.

One of the benefits of the bill is the potential for growth, Melchiori said. After the economic recession, the scholarship fund has the possibility of flourishing.

“The fund should grow in the future when the budget opens up a little bit,” he said.

State Senate Bill 5001 did not have a testimony against it while being heard in either the Senate or the House. However, if she had known about the bill before hand, Yazzie says she would have done more to get the word out to tribal leaders and students on campus.

“It’s just really frustrating,” Yazzie said. “This clearly shows the lack of commitment to Native Americans in this country.”

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Contacts:
Aldo Melchiori
(360) 786-7439

Genevieve Yazzie
gyazzie@wsu.edu

J. Manuel Acevedo
(509) 335-1071